Draft-gear for railway-cars.



PATENTED MAY 45, 1903.

A. STUGKI. DRAFT GEAR POR RAILWAY CARS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.^23, 1902.

TS-SHBET 1. V-

M@ Q @jm Noi 727,485. vPAfrRN'rRD MAY @1903.3

A. -STUGKI. DRAFT GEAR FOR RAILWAY GARR APPLICATION FILED DBO. 23,19.02.

No MODEL. z SHEETS-RESET 2.

PATENT Patented May 5, 1903.

OFFICE.

ARNOLD STUCKI, OEALLGI-IENY, PENNSYLVANIA.

DRAFT-G EAR FOR` RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 727,485, dated May 5,1903. Application filed December 23, 1902. Serial No. 136,374. (Nomodel.)

10 @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Beit known that I, ARNOLD STUCKI, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Allegheny, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementsin Draft-Gear for Railway-Caract which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to construct a simple and compact form ofdraft-gear for railway-cars; and a further object is to permit lateralswinging movement of the draftbar under control of the springs. Theseobjects I attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a view, partlyin plan or top view and partly in sect-ion, of draft-gear forrailway-cars in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a view, partlyin side elevation and partly in longitudinal section, on the line a a,Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is asectional plan View of one of the elements of thegear. Fig. 4 is a top view of the same, and Fig. 5 is a front View.

1 l represent the center sills of the car, and 2 the draft-bar whichcarries the couplinghead. To the opposite sills 1 are secured bearingplates or brackets 3 and 4, which may be'independent of each other, ifdesired, or may be united to form a double bracket, if preferred, thebrackets 3 serving as stops to limit the forward movement of the forwardfollower 5, and the brackets 4 in like manner serving to limit therearward movement of the rear follower Against the front face of theforward follower 5 bears the rear end of the draft-bar 2, and againstthe back face of the rear follower 6 bears a block 7, which is securedto the usual yoke 8 with which the draft-bar is provided.

Between the front and rear followers 5 and 6 are confined any desirednumber of spring structures, two of `'which are shown in the presentinstance, each of these spring structures consisting of a two-partcasing composed of members free to slide laterally past each other,andconfined between them is a transverse spring element of any desiredcharacter.

In the present instance each spring element comprises an outerspring-coil 9 and an inner spring-coil l0, lighter than the outer coil,and each member of the spring-casing comprises a face-plate 1l, diagonalside plates 12, and an end plate 13, said end plate constituting one ofthe end bearings for the spring-coils and the diagonal side plates ofthe two members having edge bearing upon each other.

A portion of each edge of each of the diagonal side plates 12 presents abeveled rib 14, and theremaining portion presents a beveled groove 15,and between the rib and groove is a shoulder 16. When the two members ofthe casing are iitted together, the ribs of the side plates of onemember iit into the grooves of the side plates of the other member andthere is a space between the shoulders 16, as shown in dotted lines inFig. l. When, however, the face-plates of the two members of thespring-casing are pressed toward each other, the wedge-like action ofthe sideplates causes lateral sliding movement of each member in respectto the other and consequent compression of the interposed springs. Themovement is therefore resisted, not only by the resiliency of thesprings, but also by the frictional contact with each other of the sideplates of the casing, which frictional surface is increased by reason ofthe beveling of the edges of these side plates.

Undue compression of the springs is pre- 'vented by contact of theshoulders 16-of the side plates, which limits the extent of lateralsliding movement of the members of the spring-casing.

When there is buffing strain upon the draftbar, the forward followerwill be pushed rearwardly, the rear follower seating against the rearbrackets 4, and when there is draft strain upon the bar the rearfollower 6 will be drawn forwardly, the forward follower seating againstthe forward brackets 3, and either movement will be attended by alatorally-sliding movement ofthe members of the spring-casings andconsequent compression of the springs.

The bearing-faces of the forward follower 5 and the rear end of thedraft-bar 2 andof the rear follower 6 and filling-block 7 have a wedgeformation consisting of two or more symmetrically-inclined surfacesformin g suit- ICO able projections or depressions in thef-ollower-plates and corresponding depressions or projections in thedraft-bar and yoke, so that when the draft-bar is swung to one side orthe other the followers will be compressed and will cause correspondingcompression of the springs. Hence while this construction tends tomaintain the draft-bar normally in its central position it permitslateral movement of the draft -bar in either direction when the cars arerounding curves and insures the return of the draft-barv to the centralposition when, after having been deflected to right or left, it isreleased and permitted to so return. By reason of this freedom oflateral movement of the draft-bar IY prevent the strains upon the end ofthe carl and upon the couplers, sills, and other parts of the equipmentwhich result when cars with rigidly-mounted draft-bars are passing'curves, and this result is attained without resorting to any complicatedconstruction of draft-gear and consequent expense.

Vertical displacement of the draft-gear is prevented by means of abottom plate 17 and a top plate 18, these plates spanning the spacebetween the sills l and being suitably secured at their ends to saidsills.

When the spr'ing-casings are subjected to pressure, the face-plate ofone member of the casing moves forwardly and the face-plate of the othermember moves rearwardly, and the interposed springs are therefore notonly compressed, but also caused to assume an inclined position, and inorder that the springs may not be distorted or forced from their placesbecause of this change of position each of the end plates 13 of eachspringcasing provides arounded bearing, ,which permits rocking movementof the spring. Thus, as shown in Fig. 1, the end plates of the casing ofthe forward set of springs have rounded portions 13a, upon which areseated rocking plates or saddles 13b, upon which the ends of the springshave their bearing, while the rear set of springs bear directly upon theend plates 13, which are rounded throughout.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patentl. A spring structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars,said structure having two members with diagonal side plates bearing uponeach other, and end plates providing bearings for the interposed springelement, substantially as specified.

2. A spring structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars, said structurehaving two members with diagonal side plates having interlocking bearingupon each other, and end plates providing bearings for the interposedspring element, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar, afollower acted upon thereby, and one or more spring structures actedupon by said follower and each Arear followers, stops therefor, and oneor more interposed spring structures each comprising two members withdiagonal side plates bearing upon each other and endplates providingbearings for the interposed spring element, Substantially as specified.

6. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar andits yoke, front and rear followers, stops therefor, and one or moreinterposed spring structures each comprising members having diagonalside plates with interlocking bearing upon each other, and end platesproviding bearings for the interposed spring element, substantially asspecified.

'7. The combination in draft-gear for rail.

way-cars, of the draft-bar, a follower acted upon thereby, and one ormore spring structures acted upon by said follower and each comprisingtwo members with diagonal side plates bearing upon each other, and endplates providing bearings for the interposed spring element,each of saidside plates having one edge partly ribbed and partly recessed, withintervening shoulder, the ribbed portion of the edge of one side plateengaging the re' cessed portion of the edge of the opposed side plate,substantially as specified.

8. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar andits yoke, front and rear followers, stops therefor, and one or moreinterposed spring structures each comprising members having diagonalside .plates bearing upon each other, and end plates between which thespring element is interposed each of said side plates having an edgepartly ribbed and partly recessed with intervening shoulder, the ribbedportion of the edge of one side plate engaging the recessed portion ofthe edge of the opposed side plate, substantially as specified.

9. A spring structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars, said structurehaving two members with diagonal side plates bearing upon each other,and end plates providing rounded bearings for the interposed springelement, substantially as specified.

10. A spring structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars, saidstructure having two members with diagonal side plates havinginterlocking bearing upon each other, and end IOO IOS

IIO

plates providing rounded bearings for the interposed spring element,substantially as specified.

l1. A spring .structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars, saidstructure having two members with diagonal side plates bearing upon eachother, end plates with rounded bearings, saddles mounted so as to rockon said bearings, and an interposed spring structure bearing upon saidsaddles, substantially as specilied.

12. A spring structure for the draft-gear of railway-cars, saidstructure having two members with diagonal side plates havinginterlocking bearing upon each other, end plates with rounded bearings,saddles mounted so as to rock on said bearings, and an interposed springstructure bearing upon said saddles, substantially as specied.

13. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar, aspring structure, and an interposed follower having a wedge bearing uponthe draft-bar, whereby lateral movement of said draft-bar will eectcompression of the spring structure, substantially as specied.

1-1. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of a draft-bar, aspring structure, and an interposed follower movable longitudinally withthe draft-bar to compress the spring structure, said follower alsohaving a wedge bearing upon the draft-bar whereby lateral movement ofthe latter will also effect compression of the spring structure,substantially as specified.

15. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar andits yoke, front and rear followers, one movable rearwardly and the othermovable forwardly with the draft-bar, stops for preventing othermovement of said followers, and a spring structure interposed betweenthe followers and compressed by movement of either follower, eachfollower having a wedge bearing upon the draft-bar, whereby lateralswinging of said baralso causes longitudinal movement of the followers,substantially as specified.

16. The combination in draft-gear for railway-cars, of the draft-bar andits yoke, front and rear followers, a block interposed between the yokeand the rear follower, a spring structure interposed between thefollowers, and stops for restricting the forward movement of the forwardfollower and the rearward movement of the rear follower, each followerhaving a wedge bearing upon that member of the draft-barwith which itengages, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses;

ARNOLD STUCKI.

Vitnesses:

I. GLANZ, J. I-I. ERNY.

